The relationship between changes in emotional intensity and treatment outcome in PTSD patients in EMDR therapy

Background: Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy primarily aims to reduce the emotional intensity or subjective disturbance associated with traumatic memories. However, to date, only one study has investigated whether a reduction in emotional intensity is related to a reduction in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.Objective: Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between changes in emotional intensity of traumatic memories during EMDR therapy and treatment outcomes.Method: One hundred twenty-five patients (88.8% female, M age = 36.4 years, SD = 11.40) with PTSD due to multiple traumatisation participated in a six-day intensive treatment programme consisting of a combination of six 90 min EMDR therapy sessions, six 90 min prolonged exposure sessions, six 60 min sessions of physical activity, and six 60 min psychoeducation sessions delivered at an academic outpatient mental healthcare clinic.Results: The results showed that a greater reduction in the emotional intensity of traumatic memory during EMDR therapy was associated with a larger decrease in PTSD symptoms at four weeks post-treatment.Conclusions: Clinicians should monitor changes in emotional intensity during treatment to assess treatment progress. Furthermore, the findings justify the use of memory disturbance as an outcome measure in experimental studies on EMDR therapy. Future research should focus on EMDR therapy processes and their relationship to treatment outcome, whereas replication of the present findings in other trauma populations is warranted.